Window.



J. F. REISS.

WINDOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

@FFTCE.

JULIUS F. BEISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.-

wmnow.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Application filed June 7, 1915. Serial No. 32,576.

Toall'wkom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS F. Raise, a

. citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windows, of which the following is a specification.

I have invented an improvement for windows, doors and the like, designed to preventthe pane from getting covered with snow, sleet or ice to such an extent as to obstruct ones view therethrough, and thus become useless except for the mere purpose of sheltering the inmates of the apartment to which the window is attached from the inclemency of the weather; and my primary object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned which is especially adapted to be employed in connection with moving vehicles, such as street cars, railroad cars and locomotives, automobiles, and the windows of ships, to the end that the motorman, en-

i ll 25.

gineer, chauffeur, pilot, or other person in control of the power that. impels the vehicle may always have a clear outlook and accident and disaster thereby be avoided.

It is particularly the object of my invention to design a window provided with a device for radiating heat to. serve above mentioned purpose, the effect of which device can'becontrolled in such a way as to maintain the amount of heat given off therefrom substantially constant, while at the same time eifectually preventing the structure of the window from getting overheated on the one hand, or heated to an insuflicient extent to secure the result aimed at, on the other; and I preferably accomplish this by an arrangement which makes it posslble to withdraw a greater or less quantity of heat according to conditions, by enabling outside air to have access to the window and even to pass through same; without, however, in any way interfering with or disturbing the regular ventilation of the car or other apartment upon which the window is located.

The above and-other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description, taken together with.

the accompanying drawings; and be fully pointed out in the ap ended claims. I wish to have it understoo however, that the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and comprises but one embodiment of my invention; and that the principle thereof may be practised by means of other constructionsthat are similar in effect. Otherwise stated, dlfi'erences in the phrasing of the claims are intended to cover actual differences in structural details that I may find it advisable to adopt; provided of course that such differences lie within the scope and s irit ofmy invention as the claims express the same.

011 said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window sash with my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of such a sash and the window frame containing it; and, Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through one side of the sash and frame shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the particular description of the drawlngs, the same characters of reference are employed to indicate the same 7 parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates a window frame which may be of the usual construction, and 2 the sash therein. For the sake of clearness and simplicity the sash is shown as fixed or stationary; since in trolley cars, for example, a stationary sash is usually employed in front for the motorman to look through. However, it is by no means essential that'the sash should be fixed; as my improvement is equally applicable to sashes that are mounted so as to be movable, as by lifting, sliding or swinging upon hinges. Both the frame and the sash should preferably be made of metal; and the sash is illustrated as being constituted of metal stampings joined together so as to make the top, bottom and side rails hollow. In the sash are mounted two panes 3 of glass or other transparent employed to secure the panes against displacement. The frame carrying the inner pane may be made of similar angle irons joined together, and hinged to one side of the, sash, as indicated in Fig. 3. The angle irons 6, of course, extend all around the borders of the panes 3, and may be fastened to the main frame 1 and the hinged frame by screws, bolts or rivets, or in fact any suitviate as much as is practicable all corners and similar recesses in which'snow and sleet might find a lodgment. This may be done by making the rib 5 lie as far forward as convenient and using angle irons on the outside of the sash that are relatively small.

The device 4 will be supplied with current from a suitable source; and in the frame 1 I locate a pair of contact plates 7, properly insulated, and connected to conductors joined to the source of power that drives the car or the like, and therefore? under complete control. lhe terminals of the coil 4 are each connected to a pair of similar plates 8, insulated from the sash; and when the sash is in the frame,each of the plates 8 will make contact with one of thesplates 7 as illustrated in Fig. 3. Hence whenever a circuit is closed to these contact plates, current will flow through the coil and heat will be radiated therefrom.

In one of the rails of the sash, preferably the top rail, I provide alined openings 9 in the front and back, so as to give passage through the sash to a certain quantity of outside air. The openings 9 may be as numerous as desired and the top rib 5 may have openings 10 therein for a purpose which will presently appear. On the outside of the upper rail I also mount means for hooding the entrances to the passages through the sash; the hooding means being in the form of an overhanging shield 11.

The openings at the inner ends of the passages through the sash may be screened with foraminous material to exclude dust and other foreign bodies; and provided with slides 12 to enable them to be wholly or partially closed. Each slide 12 will, of course, be mounted'in guides 13.

The utility of my invention will now be clear. The window will be mounted on a street or trolley car, for example, in front of the station of the motorman; and whenever the car is obliged to operate in weather attended by a fall of snow, hail or sleet, the motorman simply turns on the switch that connects the ll l: to the source of current to heat the space between the panes 3 and thereby cause snow and ice that strike against the outside pane 3 to be quickly I melted and drain off the same. The practical effect of the coil 4 is regulated by means of the slides 12; with the result that when the coil is in operation, the amount 1 of current flowing through it, and consequently the quantity of heat given oil by it may remain constant. This is due to the fact that outside air flowing through the passages in the sash into the car will back up into the chamber between the panes 3 and be warmed therein; and then it will eddy out of this chamber into one of the passages again and be forced past the slides 12 aswill be readily understood. If for instance, the fall of snow or sleet becomes 4 heavier, the slides 12 will be manipulated.

so as torestrict the area of the inner openings 9. Therefore the rate of flow of the air through the sash-will be lessened; and

there will be a corresponding diminution in the amount of air forced into and with drawn from the chamber between the panes 3. Hence a larger portion of the heat radiated fromthe coil 4 will now be made availnot only because it leaves the motorman free I to attend to his controller, brakes, and other equipment, and does not require him to pay any attention to the coil 4:, once the circuit of the same has been closed; but also accords with the requirements of ventilation of the car. In very bad weather, the car will, of course, be closed as tightly. as possible; and

such a condition will be assisted by the complete closure of the slides 12. For weather that is lessinclement, some outside air in the car will not be objectionable; and

under such circumstances the opening of the passages through the sash will not only provide the amount of outside air desired, but will also decrease the warming and melting effect of the coil 4: in the measure permitted by the smaller amount of snow and ice that will then have to be cleared off the outside of the window. The eilect and action of the coil are thus governed entirely by means of the slides 12, without in any way varying the amount of heat which is actually radiated from the coil. .Inother words, the quantity of heat given ofi' remains the same, but the proportion of this heat which is actually used in warming the sash to melt ice and snow thereon is varied according to conditions; and the undue warming of the sash structure itself is thereby avoided.

As'shown in the drawings the under surface of the bottom rail of the sash is beveled slightly, so that the top of the sash can be put in the frame first and the bottom afterward. The bottom rail may be notched to enga e a latch 14 in the frame, whereby it can removably held in position. As stated above, however, the structure of the sash or window frame is not a material part of my invention, as the principle of my improvement can be applied to a sash of almost any type. My invention can also be employed on stationary structures, such as buildings, as well as upon moving vehicles; and will serve under all conditions to keep the pane clear and preserve the outlook therethrough; 'both for the benefit of ordinary occupants, and to the end that motormen, engineers, etc., can keep themselves advised in a storm of what is going on outside at every instant; and thereby avoid collisions and all other mishaps that might occur.

- I employ the numeral 15 to indicate the hinged frame carrying, the inner pane 3, and 16 the hinge for pivoting the frame on the sash to be swung against the inside of the rib 5, or away from it. This arrangement enables access to be had to the coil 4: at any moment. A suitable catch, not shown will normally hold the frame 15 closed. By

means of the plates 7 and 8, the act of puttingthe'sash 2 in position in the frame 1 automaticallyconnects the'coil 4 to the wires I of the supply current, whether the sash be hinged to the frame 1, or slidable thereon, or otherwise arranged.

Having described my invention what I believe to be new and-desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is: a

1. The combination of a sash, a pair of panes of transparent material carried by the sash in spaced-apart relation and forming therewith a chamber, one rail of said sash having one or more passages extending therethrough from itsouter to its inner face,

the said passages having communication at.

a point between the ends thereof with said chamber, a heating device inside the chamber remote from said passages, and means for wholly or partially closing said passages,

whereby air passing through the same from the outside of the sash can be caused to enter said chamber to a greater or less extent before issuing from the ends of said passages on the inner faceof the sash.

2. The combination of a sash, a pair of panes of transparent material carried by the sash in spaced-apart relation and forming therewith a chamber, said sash also having one or. more passages extending through the top rail from the outer face to the inner face of the same, each of said passages having communication at a point between its ends with the upper portion of said chamber, a heating device adjacent the lower portion of said chamber and means for Wholly or partially closing said passages,

' whereby air passing through said passages 

